Tag: environment

Growing My Love
Laid Down Love – Part 2

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

Today I want to further push this idea of “laid down love.” Yesterday we defined it; today I want to look at its growth factor. In other words, this God-like love needs to grow in us. It is not a stagnant kind of spiritual gem. It must be attended to so it will grow, or it will fade away and die.

Like exercise, God’s love grows best in the environment of daily practice. As we daily help others, our love for both God and others grows. Daily repetition has several benefits. The first benefit is that it burns that activity into a routine; a habit. When we don’t do something on a regular basis, it is really easy to forget to do it. When we do remember, we try to re-start the process. When this cycle continues, our lives are more “roller coaster” in style rather than a consistent growing discipline.

The second benefit to daily practice is that it gets easier. Like a daily exercise routine, our daily habit of helping others comes easily; without a great amount of struggle. At this point we have to look back over our day and recount the ways we have helped others, because we do it so habitually!

This daily exercise of God’s love doesn’t always seem like it is doing a good thing in us. My daily exercise routine does not always feel like it’s producing a lot of good in me. It is over the long haul that I reap the most benefit in my daily routines. As you practice God’s love, you can be assured your love is growing!

Father, my heart is open to you. Direct my day and show me ways to demonstrate your love to others. I praise you for your love for me. In Jesus’ Name, amen.